


Coffee Diem

by ZodiacBiologist



Series: Campus Diem [2]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Future Fic, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-12-27 18:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12087114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacBiologist/pseuds/ZodiacBiologist
Summary: On the other side of campus, Nerris just about screamed when she awoke to find that not only was the last of the paper cups used, but the coffee as well,“Damn it, Max!”In which Max's hatred for college and need for coffee really screws up Nerris' whole week. Maybe even her whole life!





	1. It Was All Max's Fault

**Author's Note:**

> Part two of Campus Diem! This'll be a fun one!
> 
> Disclaimers: I own Nothing

Ah, college; an institution of carbs, insanity, and about five minutes of learning. The air of crippling debt and half a fuck to give hung so low in the air, it affected all those who stood on campus.

Today, that just so happened to be Max.

Boy, did Max loathe this place. At the insisting of David and Gwen, he selected an institution to spend the next four years of their lackluster paychecks on.

“What a fucking waste of money!” He argued, flinging the pamphlet across the room. David watched it as it sail, making no real move to go grab it.

“Language, Max.” He warned, folding his arms. Max only scoffed.

“What am I supposed to do? Get a fucking Liberal Arts degree like mom?”

“Hey!” Gwen snapped from the kitchen, “That Liberal Arts degree has been paying for this house!”

“Whatever! I’m not going!”

Or so, he said. Max had fought tooth and nail from his junior to senior year of highschool, and yet, here he was, breathing in the ungodliness this campus had to offer.

“Morning, Max.” A voice called, cutting through the air like a beacon of hope,

“Oh, Nikki, thank God.” Max tried to mask the sarcasm in his voice with a layer of desperation; though, at this point, Nikki knew far better.

“Oh, stop. You can go five minutes without coffee,” The teal haired girl rolled her eyes as she handed Max a paper cup, “Besides, Nerris is gonna be pissed if you use all our paper cups.”

Nikki had hardly finished her sentence when she felt a few quarters and a five dollar bill being dropped into her palm,

“Here,” Max said, “For the last three-”

“Eight.”

“-eight fucking cups I’ve borrowed.” Max rolled his eyes, taking a sip of the ninth cup. Nikki didn’t have the heart to remind him that he never actually ‘borrowed’ the paper cups, as they didn’t want them back when he was done.

“Ya know, Max,” Nikki pocketed the change, “You can just but a keurig for your room.”

“Nikk, I’ve told you, men don’t own keurigs.” Max took a final gulp of his coffee, crushing the cup when he was done. 

“Are you sure it’s not just an excuse to see me before class?” Nikki pulled on her ponytail. 

The comment was meant to be light hearted, but by the way Max turned (in the opposite direction of his class) and trekked on his way, the girl figured she had struck a chord,

“Positive.”  
_________________________

On the other side of campus, Nerris just about screamed when she awoke to find that not only was the last of the paper cups used, but the coffee as well,  
“Damn it, Max!” The woman, already in a bad mood, sat straight up in bed. 

Since lacrosse season had started, Nerris would be up at five each morning for practice, then bolt back to the dorm for a nap before her eleven o’clock class. She needed coffee like she needed air at this point! And while she tried to make that abundantly clear to her roommate, it seemed the message just wasn’t getting across...or, maybe it was.

Stuck on the keurig was a hot pink sticky-note with a five dollar bill under it. Finding a gel pen message on the note, Nerris read, 

‘Nerris, I swear, I’ll get more coffee while I’m out. Here’s some money from Max. Go to The Bean and get yourself something. XOXO. Your Roomie, Nikki.’

“Oh, great,” Nerris groaned, working a comb through her hair and searching for a ponytail holder, “I’ll have to put actual clothes on…”  
_________________________

Now clothed in a pair of jeans and her boxy letterman’s jacket (to hide the fact that she was NOT dealing with a bra today) Nerris trudged down the street, keeping her head low in case anyone she knew was out this dreadful morning. 

As much as Nerris loved to explore, lacrosse had kept her on a tight schedule of going to class and going to sleep. Frankly, she really didn’t know anyone else on campus aside from her team, Nikki, and Max. She admittedly skipped orientation week for a Larping tournament out of state.

With this bit of knowledge, Nerris felt confident enough to lift her head as she entered The Bean; a decision she almost instantly regretted.

“Hello, and welcome to-” 

The words died as Nerris stared at the man behind the counter,

“Harrison!?”


	2. It Was All Ered's Fault

“Harrison!?” 

Nerris had every part of her soul screaming for her to turn around and leave before any interaction could begin, but something kept her firm in her place. 

It had been at least three years since she had seen him last and even that visit had been short lived! The last thing she could remember saying to him was how dumb his white gloves looked! 

Did he remember that? Shit.

Of course, Nerris felt awful for every harsh thing she had ever thrown the boy’s way, but what difference did that make? 

She couldn’t go back and change any of it. 

Time had changed both of them and, for Harrison, it was as if time hit him hard with a bus.

An extremely good looking bus…

Nerris felt her mouth dry slightly as she looked at the changed man before her and, for half a second, forgot what she was even doing here.

“C-can I get you something?” Harrison rested his elbows on the smooth countertop in front of him and raised an eyebrow.

Nerris wanted to melt into the floorboards at this point, though no amount of Larping had ever taught her how to do that. So instead, she took one, bold step forward, tearing her eyes from Harrison and instead choosing to stare directly at the menu.

Truth be told, Nerris hated coffee shops with every fiber of her being. The sizes made no sense, the names for the drinks were all confusing, and they all tasted the same. 

However, in her desperate moment for caffeine, she spoke up, 

“I’ll,” She could’ve stabbed herself in the foot for how shrill her voice came out, “I’ll have a caramel latte...the biggest one ya got.” She choked on the last part, though Harrison seemed to understand.

He reached for a cup beside the register and scrawled her name onto it. It was then that Nerris noticed two things: Even after all these years, Harrison never took off his white gloves, and that his hands were trembling slightly.

Had he always done that? Was it nerves? 

‘Stop it, Nerris…’ The girl mentally scolded, moving her eyes to the floor, ‘It’s just Harrison…’

Yes, while it was ‘just Harrison’, this Harrison was nothing like the boy from summer camp. Every move he made looked smooth, as if he practiced it in a mirror everyday. In some ways, the way he mixed the drink didn’t look remotely human; it was just too perfect. 

Magical, even…

And then, as soon as it started, it was over. Harrison placed a lid on the latte and slid it across the counter. Crap, even that slide was magical! 

Nerris took the cup into her hands, though her mind completely blanked on what to do with it. An awkward silence settled between the two, one that Nerris couldn’t find it in herself to break. 

However, that too had to come to an end as well.

“Oh! I forgot to pa-” Nerris was already fishing into her pocket for the five dollar bill she had, when Harrison lifted his hand for her to stop,

“No, it’s okay. It’s on me.” His lifted hand quickly touched the back of his neck. If Nerris wasn’t blushing before, she certainly was now. 

“I- uh...T-thanks.” Nerris settled on the words, hoping they didn’t actually sound as wobbled as she heard them. 

Harrison only nodded, looking at the register, “It was great to see you again.” He finally said, the shaking in his hands becoming more visible. 

“Y-yeah...you, too.” Nerris muttered, lifting her cup to her mouth in an attempt to block the rest of her face, 

“Thanks for the coffee.” 

And with that, Nerris, after almost tripping over a chair, made her way toward the exit. As she reached the door, she could’ve sworn she heard the man say something, though she made no move to get clarification on that.  
_________________________

“Nicolette!” Nerris all but screamed as she blazed through her bedroom door. Nikki was hard at work, stacking playing cards in an elegant tower that was subsequently demolished by Nerris’ dramatic entrance.

“Jesus Christ, Nerry, what’s got you all pissed?” Nikki spoke, though Nerris knew she was more focused on her crumbling card tower.

“I’ll tell you what! You’re stupid boyfriend, that’s what!”

“Uh, he's not m-”

“No! Listen! I went to The Bean, right!? Fucking Harrison works there!” Nerris exclaimed, slamming her remaining latte on her desk.

At the mention of her old friend, Nikki sat up quickly, “Harrison works at The Bean!? That’s great news!”

“No, it’s not, Nikki!” Nerris kicked off her shoes, unceremoniously throwing herself onto her bed. She made the effort to shove her head under the pillow. Nikki rolled her eyes,

“Oh, come on, I think this campus is big enough for two magic kids, ri-”

“Hey, what’s with all the yelling?” Ered questioned, perched in their doorway. The girl lived across the hall from them in a single room; nothing they said or did ever got past Ered, even with her headphones on. 

“Nerris has a crush on Harrison and it ruined her day!” Nikki exclaimed, “And she wrecked my card tower!”

“I do not!” Nerris called from under her pillows.

“You did so! The shattered remains are right he-”

“No! Not your card tower! Harrison!” Nerris pulled the pillows off her head, glaring daggers at Nikki. Ered only shrugged,

“No biggie, I can just ask him the next time I work with him.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, Nerris felt as if the world had crumbled around her, “You wouldn’t…”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t.” Ered smirked, pushing off of the door frame to step back, just in case Nerris decided this called for violence. She didn’t.

Letting her shoulders drop in defeat, Nerris sighed, “Guys, it’s not a big deal. Really.” 

Ered and Nikki exchanged a glance, “Uh huh. Sure it isn’t.” Ered commented, turning to head back for her room.

And if it really wasn’t that big of a deal, it really didn’t do any harm to tell anyone else, right?  
_________________________

“Seriously, she was totally freaking out about it.” Ered kicked her legs up onto her desk, reaching to adjust her computer screen.

“As if no von ‘ad seen it coming.” The computer displayed a grainy image of Dolph, though his movement were two seconds too slow. Skype wasn’t the ideal option of communication with him, but since he was accepted into a German art college, getting ahold of him by phone or text meant paying a fee.

And as broke college students, that wasn’t an option. 

Regardless of that, Dolph’s words were still true, “‘ow ‘ave the othehs taken the news?” 

The image showed a paint brush in Dolph’s hand one moment that was gone the next. Ered shrugged, “Dunno, but if you find out, let me know.”

“Oh, I vill.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dunnnnnnn!!! So, we now know Nikki and Nerris are roommates, Nerris plays lacrosse, Harrison works at The Bean with Ered, Dolph is in art school in Germany, and Max is addicted to coffee. Six down, four to go.


	3. It Was All Preston's Fault

Summers at Camp Campbell were always beautiful and warm- Sometimes a little too warm for the others liking, as evident by the way the youngest campers (Space Kid, Nikki, Dolph, and Nerris) would whine from discomfort.

Since they were all also the cutest of the campers, their discomfort made the others feel guilty and soon the older campers had all set out to make them feel better with a distraction of sorts. 

Bets for money were always a good choice for situations like these, of course. A perfect distraction for everyone involved!

However, not everyone always participated in these bets, as it would ruin the fun. Often, the campers would meet up in private, with a select few purposefully excluded from the meeting.

This week, it was the magical duo who were temporarily booted from the camp's inner circle. After a particularly rough talent show, which ended in Gwen have to pry Nerris from Harrison’s back, Max could hardly keep the smirk off his face.

“I give it roughly eight summers from now,” Max scoffed. “Magic dumbass one and magic dumbass two will shack up. Mark my words.” 

Nikki nearly shot her chocolate milk out of her nose, “No! Harrison and Nerris? Really? I don't see."

“I’m telling you, Nikki, the two make each other absolutely miserable!” Dark jade eyes twinkled mischievously. "It's all in line already, I’d bet anyone everything in the shoebox under my bed!"

“That IS the perfect recipe for marriage…” Neil added. "I'm in. I'll add my electron microscope to the pot-"

"It has to be actual MONEY!" Max barked, slamming his fork onto the table. Neil rolled his eyes, setting his fork down in a much more calm manner.

“Eight bucks an-”

“Not enough.”

A pause, “And, whoever wins gets to name my first born child.” Neil quirked an eyebrow, arms crossing over his chest. Max’s eyes instantly lit up,

“Ooooh, have I got the perfect name picked out.” 

“That is, IF you win, which IS if Harrison and Nerris get together roughly eight summers from now,” Neil reminded the boy, picking his fork back up to continue his escape plans, “I give it five summers, though.”

“Ooh, ooh! Let me join, let me join!” Nikki was practically buzzing in her seat, slamming both fists onto the table, “I bet they get together roughly eight summers from now in a coffee shop! All the best romances happen in coffee shops!”

“That’s...really specific…” Max quipped, getting up from his seat to find a pen.

“And what do you wager?” Neil had set his fork down once more and rested his chin on his palm.

“I’ll buy the winner’s coffee every day for a year.” Nikki waved her arms above her head, eyes alight with excitement.

“Deal.” Came simultaneous answers as Max jotted down the stakes.

“Alright, gentlemen...and Neil-”

“Hey!”

“-Looks like we got ourselves a bet!”

With the napkin signed and dated by the trio, the bet was official. And now, they waited.  
_________________________

Roughly eight sumners later, at five o’clock in the afternoon, Harrison had served the last beverage of his shift, nodding to Ered as she entered the establishment to take over for him. She seemed amused by something, though Harrison was too caught up in his thoughts to pay any mind to it,

“I said 'This one's on me'... What was I thinking!?” Harrison muttered under his breath, his face heavy with an ever present flush of embarrassment.

His trembling fingers fumbled with his apron, as he hurried to untie it, so he could leave and go hide in the safety of his dorm. His shift had only just ended a few minutes ago, but the longer he stayed, the more itchy he got.

Any longer and he'd just dart out of the break room with the thing still on!

"Come on- YES!" With a final tug, the apron ties came loose- And then slipped from his fingers and onto the filthy floor.

Exactly what he needed...

“God damn it! These hands- Thanks for making me look like an idiot once again!” Harrison groaned as he let his knees buckle under him.

Harrison picked up the apron gingerly, his nose wrinkling in disgust as he did so. He had been so wrapped up in his own world that he didn't notice the door suddenly fly open behind him.

“Aye, what’s with all the yellin’?” The shift manager, a tall, lanky man whose name Harrison didn't bother to remember, demanded as he stepped into the room.

“Oh!” Harrison yelped as he scrambled to his feet, “Nothing! Really, it’s nothing- not a big deal.”

Of course, there was no reason for him to be getting so upset; it was no big deal. What did he really have to worry about? It wasn’t like there was some huge bet, made approximately eight summers ago that people had money riding on, that somehow involved both Harrison and Nerris without their knowledge.

"Better not be. Only people who should be yellin' in this damn place are kids. Not the staff!" With a sneer, the man turned back towards where he had come and slammed the door shut behind him. 

"... It's times like this I wish I WERE still a kid who got to scream whenever." A sigh left him.  
_________________________

“How dare you!” 

Harrison had barely made it through the door of their room when he was quickly reminded that the ‘no yelling’ policy didn’t apply here.

“Oh, Lord. What did I do this time?” He mused to his roommate, kicking off his shoes and making his way towards his bed.

If he had learned anything from rooming with Preston, it was to not brush these sorts of things off; while Nurf had certainly calmed down over the years, he was still defensive. His boyfriend getting ignored while upset was a good way to set him off.

“How could you! I thought we were best friends!” Preston threw a hand over his heart, mustering up a few fake tears for show. 

“What did I do, exactly?” Harrison felt his patience slip as the other man pranced about the room, finding a way to dramatically throw himself onto every piece of furniture. 

“Why, my dear roommate, you did not tell me about your ladyfriend.” Preston, who was currently sprawled across the mini fridge, looked at his roommate. He pulled himself into a sitting position, before reaching between his legs to access the fridge.

He pulled out two beers, tossing one to Harrison, though the other made no attempt to catch it.

“I’m sorry, my what?” Harrison felt himself go ridged. 

“Oh? So you and Nerris aren’t together yet? Shame,” Preston took a dainty sip of his beer, then set it beside him, “Though, you might want to go clear that up, you see, I heard from Nurf, who heard from Space Man, who heard from Dolph, who heard from-”

“Great…” Harrison pressed his own beer to his temple, feeling the beginnings of a migraine, “This is just great…”


	4. It Was All Harrison's Parents' Fault

By the time Preston finished his dramatized version of that afternoon’s events, Harrison had already finished his beer and was considering a second one to stave off the migraine that began to form from his roommate’s rambling; however, that consideration was far from possible with Preston still atop the mini fridge.

“So, to make a long story short…?” Harrison quirked an eyebrow, once Preston had paused to take a breath.

“What? Oh! Yes. This morning in chem-”

Harrison crushed the can in he was holding before standing, “Preston, do you even remember what we were talking about it?” 

“About you and Nerris? Well, it’s about damn time, really.” Preston answered, picking his long forgotten beer up and taking a swig. Harrison felt his patience slip yet again.

He loved his roommate to the depths of Hell and back, but man, was it hard to get information out of him! And, man, was it even harder to keep him on topic! 

With trembling hands and a pounding head, Harrison glanced around the room for something to occupy himself. Chewing his lip, he stood from his bed and reached for the carton of cigarettes he kept in the top drawer of his desk; those never failed to calm his nerves.

“Don’t-,” Preston’s voice took a sudden sharp tone, “-you even dare light that in here!” The man jumped off the fridge, pointing a finger at the carton.

“Pres-”

“Don’t you ‘Preston’ me! Take it outside!” Preston demanded, marching himself over to the door and flinging it open, just in case the other man didn’t remember where the exit was.

“Alright, alright, I’m going, jeez!” Harrison threw his arms up in defence, making his way to the hallway. The door was promptly slammed behind him, adding on to the increasing pain in his head.  
_________________________

Smoking was never a habit Harrison wanted to have. Even now, as he sat on top of his car in the parking garage, he mentally scolded himself for it.

It started shortly after Camp Campbell closed; he was shipped back home, more powerful now than he ever had been. This, however, only increased his parents’ anxiety over his powers; his mother’s screams in terror became more frequent and his father refused to even look in his direction. This had gone on for almost a year before Harrison could no longer take it. In a desperate attempt to end the hostility, he made one terribly hard choice; He needed to give up magic for good. And so, he did. 

He took the time to comb his room for any item that may have any connection to magic and tossed it away. Cards, scarves, wands, even his beloved top hat all made it way into a trash can and left on a curb. 

For about a week, all seemed well.

And then the pain came...

It started with a tingling in his finger tips that would eventually make it’s way up into his hands. From there, the tingling turned to a throb that worked its way up his arms and stayed there. In the following weeks blisters, burns, and scabs began to appear across his hands; Harrison would later discover the cause to be himself attempting magic in his sleep.

After only a month of suffering, Harrison knew he couldn’t suppress his powers much longer. At this point, he figured it was only a matter of time before he accidentally/on purpose burned himself alive.

He was quite tempted the day he found his escape.

He had been going for a walk early one morning after accidentally setting fire to his own pajamas. It was dark still, so the flash of light immediately caught his attention. There, just up the street, was a homeless man sitting on an overturned bucket. A slim, white cigarette hung between his lips as he ran his thumb across his lighter once more. A spark clicked from the item before bursting into a flame. The man held the flame before the cigarette, watching the end of the cigarette flair. 

The display, at least from where Harrison had been standing, reminded him of magic. The way the dark masked the lighter made the man appear as though he was pulling the flame from thin air; the curls of smoke floated through the air like a wondrous illusion. For days after, it was all Harrison could think of! The flames, the smoke, the illusion! It was beautiful! It was like a new trick he just had to learn, one that wouldn’t have his parents recoiling in disgust! Or, at least one they wouldn't be fearful of...if he was ever dumb enough to let them find out. 

So, as soon as Harrison turned eighteen, he became the proud owner of a pack of Marlboros and, for a short time, his pains were gone. 

But now, the only trick he had left to perform was an addiction.  
_________________________  
At least smoking gave Harrison a small window of opportunity to use his powers without calling any direct attention to himself; the hand in front of his cigarette looked less like it was actually producing a flame and more like it had been blocking a breeze from hitting a lighter. 

The brief action of lighting the cigarette was not enough to take away the pain, but was enough to make it more manageable. 

Exhaling a cloud of smoke into the sky, Harrison let his thoughts catch up to him. He felt, of all things, sick. The woman, who had relentlessly teased him at camp, had returned to his life and was absolutely beautiful, his stupid hands made him look like a bumbling moron, and now his friends are spreading rumors around about the them…

Sucking in a lungful of smoke, Harrison fumbled for the phone in his pocket. Figuring his fingers to be useless at this point, Harrison used his nose to scroll through his contacts before clicking one. Returning the phone to his ear, he waited…

...And waited…

...And-

-click-

“H-hello…”

“Hi, m-”

A yelp; Harrison rolled his eyes, “Hi, mom.” 

“O-oh! H-harrison. W-why did you call?” His mother’s voice warbled relentlessly on the other end.

Harrison chewed his lip again; This phone call was a mistake, he knew, but it was worth a shot.

“Mom, I have a question for you…”

“U-uh, yes. Yes, s-son, w-what is it?”

“I, uh...I was wondering if I could come home for the weekend.” There was no sense in beating around the bush; Harrison knew pressing the call button was a one way ticket to Disappointment Town. And yet, he did it anyway.

“O-oh! Uh, I...I would h-have to, uh, ask y-your father…” There’s a pause, “W-why...is something w-wrong...how are your h-hands?” 

He knew what she meant by that, and yet, he answered, “They’re fine, mom. Just a little sore…”

There was another pause and the a hum, “Have you been reading your bible?”

“Oh, yes, mom, I’m reading it right now, actually.” 

Harrison flicked his cigarette, watching the ash collect on his jeans. They both knew damn well that was a lie, though it made for a conversation.

“O-okay, then. I’ll let you get back to that then.” His mother sounded almost relieved at the apparent excuse to end the phone call. 

Harrison felt his heart sink, “Remember to ask dad, okay?” He asked, shifting to sit up a bit more straight. 

There was one final pause,“A-ask your f-father what, H-harrison?”

He knew that would be her response; it always was.

“Uh, just make sure he’s reading the bible, too,” Harrison winced at his own stupid reply, “Anyway, I gotta go, mom. Bye.” 

The line went dear without another word, though, he expected nothing else at this point. Taking one last puff of his cigarette, Harrison rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. 

He wasn’t crying. 

Not one bit.

Reaching for another cigarette, Harrison closed his eyes, “Always next weekend…” 

“What’s next weekend? The cancer finally finding you?”

Harrison’s eyes shot open, immediately staring into bright pinks across from him, “Nikki! Don’t scare me like that!” He scolded, smoke flying from his mouth in a great cloud. 

Nikki could hardly hold back her laughter, whacking Harrison on the shoulder, “Oh, relax, would ya, I just heard you talking and figured I’d make sure you didn’t finally crack or something.” Nikki plopped down onto the hood, reaching for the open package of cigarettes between the two.

“Need a light?”

“Yes, please,” Nikki turned to face Harrison, watching intently as a small flame sprang from his palm, “Man, that will never not be cool!” 

“Yeah, easy for you to say. You’re not the one almost setting fire to things.” Harrison reminded her, turning to relight his own cigarette. A silence fell between though two that was awkward and yet, not uncomfortable.

Nikki, after a period of one whole minute, began tapping her nails against the car hood, “Well, I don’t remember what I came up here for, but I do remember having something to ask you.” 

“Oh?” Harrison barely bothered replying. Nikki’s questions usually pertained to his magic in some way and, since quitting, Harrison felt uncomfortable answering them.

However, Nikki’s eyes were trained up at the sky, rather than him, “Yeah. We’re going to Max’s house this weekend if you wanna join. He’s got the whole place to himself.” Nikki’s eyes lit up mischievously, knowing all too well what THAT would entailed. 

“Uh, yeah. I’ll go...sounds fun.” Harrison didn’t bother telling Nikki about his conversation with his mom; it was better if she thought he had nothing better to do.

“Great!” Nikki lept from his car, tossing her cigarette to the ground, “Now, I should really go figure out why I came up here in the first place…”

Without so much as a wave, the teal haired girl was already setting off down the parking garage, rambling away to herself, leaving Harrison alone to finish his smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Gotta give Harrison a little bit of crap, right? To clarify, his hands tremble the way they do because he is repressing his magic. It causes him a great deal of pain, which is why he struggled to get his apron off in the previous chapter. 
> 
> As for the weekend at Max's, well...it'll be a fun one ;)


	5. It Was All Nikki's Fault

“Nikks...you left to buy coffee…” Nerris could hardly process the awe she felt at how obliviousy Nikki could be.

“Ooooh. How’d I forget that?” The teal haired girl lowered herself from where she stood, taking a seat on the floor. She drummed her fingers on her chin.

Nerris knew better than to think Nikki was actually considering the questions; she was simply stalling for time. 

“Nikki, if it’s that much of an issue, I’ll just go get it myself,” Nerris climbed off of her bed, reaching for her shoes. Her wrist was promptly grabbed, sending her tumbling over herself.

“No! I’ll get it! I swear...but can I do it tomorrow? It’s kind of late now.” Nikki nodded toward the clock on her roommate’s desk; the BROKEN clock…

“Nikki, it’s onl-” Nerris cut herself off; She really didn’t want to go out either, and if it only meant one more awkward interaction at The Bean, she could wait.

“I promise, I’ll go after class tomorrow and get as much coffee as you want!” Nikki exclaimed, reaching for a gel pen off her desk to write a note on her wrist.

Oh, she definitely meant business this time; As Nikki put it, writing notes on her wrist meant they wouldn’t wash off if she washed her hands. She was ‘guaranteed’ to remember this time!

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just none of that espresso crap you got last time.” The dark skinned woman pulled herself off the floor, moving to climb back into bed.

“That stuff is goooood!” Nikki argued, throwing her gel pen down. Nerris held back a laugh.

“Yeah, if you’re a drug addict,” Situating herself on her bed, Nerris looked back at Nikki, “Alright, so what’s the ‘big plan’ for Max’s house this weekend?” 

Nikki’s eyes lit up at the mention of the weekend and was quick to leap to her feet, “Booze, booze, and more booze! Booze for days! So many booze filled shenanigans, your head will spin!”

“Whoa! Sounds like a good time,” Nerris giggled, watching her roommate prance around the room in excitement, “Who’s gonna be there?”

Nikki, who was mid run, froze where she stood, “Oooh, you know,” she turned to face the door, “The guys. Sasha and Erin, maybe…”

“And by ‘the guys’, you mean?”

“Oh, come on, Nerris! You know what that means!” Nikki crossed her arms, watching her roommate’s facial expression; surprisingly, it remained unchanged.

“So, ALL the guys are going? Everyone here from Camp Campbell?”.

A pause.

“Yes…” Nikki flinched slightly, bracing herself for Nerris’ response. However, the other girl seemed calm, unfazed. Weird.

The teal haired girl almost expected the other girl’s head to explode. It didn’t.

“Well then, this should be fun.” Nerris said, picking one of her textbooks back up. She went back to her assignment with nothing else to say, with Nikki trying to form a response, but never quite getting there.

A silence fell over the room, one that Nikki decided not to disturb. 

_________________________

“Alright, ladies, great job today!” Monica, the lacrosse coach, called over the group of women in front of her. While practice had technically ended half an hour ago, she thought a bit of team bonding was in order.

So, a quick jog to the local coffee shop was tagged on to their practice that morning. Not that anyone was complaining much; a bit of a reward after a rough few weeks seemed like a fair deal. 

“At least I’m not alone this time…” Nerris thought, fixing her ponytail, not that she care how it looked or anything. 

Being that it was barely 7:30, only two other customers occupied The Bean once the team scrambled inside. The warm building was a nice change from the morning chill and Nerris found herself wishing she could stay there all day; stupid classes, always getting in the way of things.

“Hello, and welcome to The Bean.” 

Nerris was brought back to reality by the voice; though, her initally embarresment was quickly replaced with mild concern.

Harrison didn’t seem to have his usual charm about him; his voice sounded dry and his hands shook more than the last time Nerris had seen him. He didn’t seem sick or anything...maybe he was just tired?

Nerris didn’t have long to take in his appearance as he was suddenly blocked from view by a swarm of girls, desperate for their morning coffee. 

Despite looking like shit, Harrison’s movements didn’t seem affected; he still moved in that way that had captivated Nerris earlier, turning out drinks as if it were magic. Nerris had been so caught up in watching him work that she almost didn’t realize she was next in line.

“Aye, Nerry, quit oggling and order, already!”

“Yeah! We gotta go!”

At the calling of her teammates, Nerris was broken from her trance, “U-uh, I’ll-...”

“Caramel latte, biggest I got, right?” Harrison didn’t bother to look up, already writing her name on a cup,

“Um..yes…” Nerris replied, caught off by the blunt response. Something in her voice must’ve given that away as Harrison looked up quickly,

“I’m uh...sorry. Didn’t sleep well last night…” He admittedly sheepishly, before turning to continue making the drink.

“It’s okay…” Nerris wracked her brain for a way to change the subject, “So, uh...Max’s house…” 

Harrison stopped once more, throwing a glance over his shoulder, “Are you going as well?” He almost sounded hopeful. Nerris’ face heated,

“Y-yeah! I mean, like...maybe if you wanted to, like...drive together or something…we could…” 

A pause, “Yeah. I’d like that…” Finding a lid, Harrison turned to hand Nerris her drink, “We can take my car, if you want.”

“Sounds good to me.” Nerris took a sip of her latte, holding out the crumpled dollar from the day before. Harrison shook his head, 

“Keep it. You can give it to me later as gas money.” 

Nerris smirked behind her cup, “So, this one is on you, too?”

“This one is on me, yes.” Harrison’s expression lightened, his tired appearance all but gone.

“Great, well-”

“Nerris, come on!” Monica called, holding the door open for the other girls to leave through. Nerris sighed,

“I’ll see you Friday, then?”

“Yes...unless you come back here before then.” Harrison smirked softly, staring down at the counter. Nerris would have replied, if not for her coach’s voice. Instead, she waved a goodbye, running for the door.

Harrison waved after her, resting his elbows on the counter. He was pleasantly surprised to find his hands, if only for a moment, had stopped trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! Booze, booze, booze! These next few chapters will be a riot! As always, thank you to everyone for liking and commenting!


	6. It Was All Nerris' Fault

Friday afternoon rolled around faster than anyone had realized, meaning there was still packing to be done. Harrison and Preston moved without a word throughout to room, tossing a few days worth of clothes into their respective bags.

The silence in the room was rather uncommon, what with Preston usually practicing his lines or finding a way to be overly dramatic about everything, so Harrison found himself enjoying it.

“Hey, losers!” 

Of course; nothing in his life could ever go his way, could it?

“Hey, Nurf.” He greeted, though the friendliness in his voice was feigned. 

Nurf quirked an eyebrow at the other man, “Everything alright?”

While Nurf had settled with nursing as his major, he had dabbled a bit in psychology; his ability to read people, much to Harrison’s dismay, was boarder line impressive. 

Picking up a pair of pajama pants to put in his bag, the smaller man shook his head, “I’m fine, Nurf. Just can’t  
wait to get off campus.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the man, who turned his attention to his brunette boyfriend. Preston was mumbling to himself, seemingly unaware of Nurf’s entrance; A hand landing on his hip brought him back to reality.

“Oh! Nurf! Don’t startle me like that!” Preston swatted at the hand, bending down to pick up his bag. Nurf turned completely to position himself against the curve of Preston’s back and-

“Alright! I’m leaving! See you guys later!” Harrison grabbed his bag off his bed, making a rather quick exit from the room. 

Closing the door behind him, Harrison rolled his eyes. Typical…

“Hey, what with all the yelling?” Max emerged from his own room next door, running a comb through his hair. 

Harrison gestured toward the room, “Your roommate came to visit.”

There was a brief pause before Max’s mind put two and two together, “Fucking gross…”

“I know…what’s your address, by the way?”

Max stopped mid comb, “You’re driving?”

Harrison nodded sheepishly, “I’m carpooling with Nerris...figured it would be better to bring another car, ya know?”

“Oh...It’s 213 Maple Drive. It’s about two hours from here,” Max tossed his comb into his room then stepped into the hallway, “Unless you want to take a shortcut...you’d have to follow behind Nikki and I, though.” 

Harrison shook his head, “With my luck, I’d get lost…”  
The dark haired male laughed, throwing an arm around the other, “With your luck, the whole car would blow up.”

“Hey! The car didn’t ‘blow up’, it just-”

“I’m joking, Harrison. God, lighten up.” Max swatted his shoulder, setting off down the hall, with Harrison close on his heels.

The rest of the walk to the parking garage was quiet, only a few comments being passed between the two. 

“Which floor are you on?” Max asked as the approached the building.” 

“Top floor…”

“All the way on the roof!? Fuck that, we’re taking the elevator.” The man said, making his way to the elevator, when he was suddenly sent flailing toward the floor. 

Nikki had leapt from behind a parked car, landing on top of the man.

“We beat ya here!” She cheered, pinning Max’s arm behind his back,

“Damn it, Nikki, get off!” Max yelped, effortlessly rolling over, sending Nikki toppling onto his chest. He rolled once more, trapping the girl under him.

“Max!” Nikki exclaimed, fighting to get back on top. After a bout a minute of watching the wrestling match, Harrison had made up his mind to just take the stairs. 

He preferred, anyway; something about climbing all those flights of stairs, knowing he didn’t take the easy way, made Harrison feel accomplished.

“Hey, wait up!” Harrison was barely up one flight of stairs by the time Nerris reached him. Any irritation he had previously felt washed away the moment her smiling face came into view.

“Nerris! Glad to see you.” Harrison greeted, feeling a heat come to his face. He mentally cursed the reaction, though he was fairly certain the poor lighting of the parking garage hid most of it. 

Nerris climbed an extra two stairs to be at equal height with him, “Glad to see you, too. It’s always a joy to be around people who know proper parking garage etiquette.” 

Harrison laughed, probably the most genuine laugh he had in awhile. The peace he had suddenly felt was definitely welcomed, even if he didn’t completely understand it.  
_________________________

The walk to the top of the garage never seemed so short; When Harrison’s 2005 Corolla came into view, he was almost stunned.

“And we’re here!” Nerris threw a fist in the air, smiling triumphantly. Harrison felt his heart leap at this.

‘What!? She’s not doing anything, stop!’ He mentally scolded himself, looking anywhere but her. He didn’t have much time to ponder this, however-

BEEP, BEEP

-The wailing of a car horn grabbed the man’s attention as his eyes darted frantically for the source.

“How the hell did you beat us here!?” Nerris yelped in disbelief, Nikki and Max pulling into a spot beside Harrison’s car.

“We drove, genius.” Max snapped, propping an elbow against the frame of the window.

“Actually, Nikki drove.” Nerris folded her arms, smirking. 

“Whatever. We’re gonna get going; Sasha and Erin are already on their way,” Max turned to face forward, “And Preston, Nurf, and Ered will be late as always, so take your time.”

“See ya, guys!” Nikki called, rolling up both windows and sliding on a pair of sunglasses. Her foot met the gas petal and they were gone.

“Yikes...I’d hate to be driving with her…” Harrison reached to rub the back of his neck, noting a pair of tire marks on the pavement.

“Eh,” Nerris shrugged, “You get used to it.”  
_________________________

“213 Maple...I’m trying to remember which part of town that’s in.” Nerris scrunched her nose, tapping furiously at the GPS on the dash board.

“It’s just outside of Sleepy Peak. Maybe a mile or two.” Harrison replied, glancing over at the woman. 

The car trip was only ten minutes in and already Harrison knew he needed a cigarette. The pain, though not up his arms as it usually was, had settled in his hands. One cigarette would be just enough to tie him over...hopefully. 

Rolling the window down just enough to vent, Harrison took one hand from the wheel, feeling around for the carton he kept...on the passenger seat. Fuck.

“Hey, Nerris, could you-” Harrison quickly returned his hand to the wheel, hoping she didn’t notice it wandering.

“Hand you these marlboros I just found?” Nerris cocked an eyebrow, shaking the package, “Seriously, Harrison?”

From the sounds of it, the woman was not too happy about her discovery; she actually sounded a bit disappointed.

Taken aback by this, Harrison rolled the window back up, “Nerris, it’s not-...look, since I stopped doing magic, it-”

“You stopped doing magic!?” Again, more disappointment.

Harrison groaned; Yes, he knew smoking was bad, he knew magic at one time was once very much his thing, and he knew Nerris didn’t know he wasn’t practicing it anymore, but he was still found himself feeling irritated.

“Look. I gave up magic; things were getting too hostile at my house,” Harrison took a breath, “Not using my powers seems like the only way to keep things stable...but it’s-...I’m in a lot of pain, Nerris…” 

“So you took up smoking?” 

“Yes...for awhile, it let me use my powers without drawing attention to myself...now it’s just to take the edge off…”

There’s a pause, then a hand on his shoulder,

“Say you...you took up magic, again? Would you quit smoking then?” 

“No,” The answer had come out more blunt than he wanted it to, “I thought about it...but doing magic again...I’d slip up...I can’t risk what peace I already have with my parents.”

It took a moment for Harrison to realize the carton had been placed on his lap. With slight hesitation, he picked it up and moved to roll the window back down. The cigarette had hardly reached his mouth when Nerris decided to break the silence.

“It’s, uh...it’s a shame you don’t do magic anymore...I was always kinda jealous of your powers…”

Harrison turned to stare, “What? You were jealous of me?” 

“Well, yeah! You could shoot fire from your palms! It was awesome!” Nerris’ face lit up and Harrison couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

“Um...thanks, it was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” 

“So awesome! Remember that time you set David on fire!? Classic!” 

“Speaking of our old camp days, do you remember when we were paired to raise that egg?” Harrison added, reaching up to take his cigarette between his fingers.

“Don’t even remind me! I was so mad!” Nerris burst into a contagious fit of laughter and, in no time at all, the two were near doubled.

“M-man! Those were the days.” Harrison remarked once he calmed, wiping a tear from his eye. Nerris settled in her seat, nodding in agreement. 

“Ya know, Harrison...I missed you…”

“...I missed you, too…”

The confessions hung in the air as the two young adults fell back into silence.

Harrison’s cigarette was never relit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with this chapter for some reason. Oh well, show must go on! Next stop, Max's house!!!


	7. It Was All The Bet's Fault

It was nearly four in the evening, as Harrison had missed their exit, by the time Camp Campbell's two magic kids arrived to the Max’s place. A line of cars were parked in the driveway and along the road, prompting Harrison to park across the street.

“Who all did Max say was coming?” He asked, rubbing nervously at his arm. Nerris shrugged, climbing out of the car.

“Guess we’ll have to go in and see.”

Harrison promptly nodded, following close behind the woman. 

The house itself was small and almost resembled a wood cabin from the outside. With all the cars in front, one might wonder how all those people could possibly fit into the space. 

Much to Harrison and Nerris’ surprise, though, the house was quite large on the inside. The front door immediately opened to the living room, where it would have appeared that the home’s inhabitants were innocently occupying themselves; upon further inspection, it became clear that no one in the room had been without a drop of alcohol.

Max and Ered were throwing darts at a board hung up on a closet door, though their aim couldn’t have been more off. Mere feet away from them, ducking their heads as to avoid being struck by the misguided darts, Nikki and Nurf shot pool in the den beside the living room; their aim was also questionable. Preston and Sasha were sitting on the couch, loudly bitching about just how much they hated everyone in the room. 

In the next room, the source of the group’s strange behavior could be traced back to Erin and Snake, who were busy mixing Everclear with a cup full of, well, it was anyone’s guess really, in the kitchen. 

The only person who still seemed steady enough to pass as completely sober was Pikeman, who was busy setting up a game of jenga. 

“Aye, ya made it!” Max threw his dart, which landed on the floor with a small bounce. He wobbled his way over to the front door, slinging an arm around Harrison. The red Solo cup poised in his hand tilted steadily, threatening to dump out its contents; which Harrison assumed was Fireball with a bit of Tequila Rose, based off the smell and color. 

Seeing him eyeing the drink, Max pressed the cup into Harrison’s hand, “Can’t have ya two walkin’ ‘round without drinks.” 

An uncharacterized smile appeared on Max’s face as he casually sauntered back into the kitchen, looking for a drink for Nerris. He returned shortly after with what looked like several jello shots thrown into a glass of vodka, “For you, Nerris.”

Nerris accepted the cup, though she made no move to actually drink, instead choosing to question their host, “So, how did you get the house to yourself?”

The man had a smirk spread across his face in a short lived sober moment, recalling just how he managed to pull it off, 

“Mom and dad, ya sees...mom and dad were going t-to our cabin in Canada for the weekend! Fucking Canada! So I called...er,” Max paused, swaying greatly where he stood, before straightening back up, “I called mom and I said ‘Sorry, can’t go, gotta study’, and ya know what? She totally bought it! So her and dad are...they’re in Canada. Sent Terra to Gram’s for the weekend, soooo, we’re good.”

Max stood proudly, feeling like the most sly motherfucker ever to live. Deciding his victory deserved another drink, Max wandered off to the kitchen, leaving Harrison and Nerris to exchange glances.

With an, albeit sketchy, reassurance that David and Gwen wouldn’t be returning anytime soon, Harrison took his first sip of alcohol for the night. Yup. Fireball and Tequila Rose...awful.

“Bleh! What the actual-” Harrison sputtered, though his mini episode had been cut off by a voice from the kitchen.

“Oh! The barista is here; get your ass in here and start making some drinks!” Snake called, poking his head out from the doorway.

“Yeah, like, we all need drinks for, like, Drunk Jenga…” Erin added, the sound of a plastic bottle being dropped filled the room as she spoke. 

While Harrison hadn’t done much dabbling in alcoholic, drink mixing was one of the skills his job at the coffee shop allowed him to be good at; besides, Harrison always was one to try and impress.

“So, you want real drinks? Okay then, Snake…”  
_________________________

“Alright, everyone got a drink in their hand?”   
Max looked around, everyone situated in a circle around the Jenga tower, red cups in hand. It was discovered in the kitchen that Harrison had a knack for mixing drinks, find the perfect blend of alcoholic and flavor. A slew of jello shots were scattered around the table; it was time for Drunk Jenga to begin,

“Perfect. We’ll go clockwise around the table. You take a Jenga block, read what it says, then do it.” Max explained, as if the concept was in any way complicated. 

With nods of acknowledgment from the circle, Max reached for the first block from the middle of the second row. It took a bit of wiggling to dislodge it from its spot, but once it came free, Max’s face twisted into a grin.

“Aw shit…” Nikki moved to sit on her heels, trying to read over the boy’s shoulder.

“What’s it say?” Nerris perked up, resting her elbows on the table.

“Choose one person to finish their drink,” Max read aloud, eyes scanning the group. Though Ered was his first choice, she returned his gaze with a fury that Max knew better than to deal with, “Preston! You’re up.”

Preston, who had settled with a vodka cran simply rolled his eyes, “Oh, honey, I’ve chugged down far worse than this,” And with that, Preston threw back his drink at an almost alarming speed, “And now it looks like it’s my turn.”

With surprisingly steady hands for a man who just drank eight ounces of vodka, Preston selected a block from the bottom of the tower,

“Take three shots.”

As Preston choose three jello shots, Ered selected the next block.

“Waterfall. Don’t stop drinking until everyone in the group has drank.”

And with that, it was only a matter of time before drunk fingers sent the tower crashing down.  
_________________________

“New game!” Preston shouted, tossing a few Jenga blocks into the air. Pikeman shook his head wildly, shoving a finger toward Preston's face,

“N-no, Pres...Presttt. Yer games are dummmmb.” The man slurred, receiving a prompt backhand from the brunette.

“Truth or dare ishn’t dumb.” Preston folded his arms tightly across his chest. 

The game suggestion did seem to perk up even the drunkest of the group; The title currently being held by either Nikki or Harrison.

Nikki was pole dancing on a lamp, while Harrison had suddenly began pulling cards from thin air. All activity ceased at the suggestion.

“Let’s go, bitches!” Sasha raised her drink above her head, throwing an arm around Nurf’s shoulders. The male only rolled his eyes; he was not drunk enough for this.

“Pikeman, truth or dare!” Nikki suddenly barked, casting eyes on the red-head.

“Dare.”

“Go switch underwear with Sasha!” And, with her dare casted, Nikki resumed her dancing.

Had alcohol not been involved, the two redheads would have never considered exchanging undergarments, but for the sake of entertainment, Pikeman now adorned a blue thong; Sasha wore plaid boxers over her leggings.

“Alright then…” Pikeman grabbed at the elastic waistband of the thong, cringing openly at the way it dug into his hips, “Max, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Do you have feelings for,” Pikeman’s eyes landed on Nikki, “Anyone in this room?” 

The man quirked an eyebrow, staring quizzically at Max. Max stared just past him, glaring at the dartboard on the wall, “Neope! Can’t say I do.” 

A slew of eyes landed on Max all at once. The man simply shrugged, “Pres-”

“Dare me, hoe!” Preston all but screamed, gripping the edges of the table in anticipation. Max recoiled, staring at the man,

“Right, uh...give Ered a foot rub for the rest of the game.”

“Done!” Preston shot, making quick work to rid Ered of her socks, “Harrison, truth or dare!”

The voice pulled Harrison back to reality, as it would seem he had zoned out a moment, “Wha? Uh, Dare.”

Letting go of Ered’s foot, Preston prowled toward the man, making it a point to get directly in his face. The group had gone completely silent, waiting in anticipation. Once he was sure he had everyone’s attention, Preston smirked, delivering the final blow, “I dare you to kiss Nerris.”

A collection of gasps and murmurs began, everyone looking to Harrison for his reaction...or rather, lack off. The man simply shrugged and turned to the woman beside him; he threaded his fingers in her hair, pulling her face closer to his-

-CRACK

“Noooo, stop!” Nikki cried. She had let go of the lamp, sending it to the floor with a sickening crash as the glass lampshade shattered.

Nerris and Harrison turned away from each other, staring at the woman, who was busy trying to jump between them.

“Damn it, Nikki!” Max yelped, but Nikki waved her arms in front of him,

“No, Max! I’m winning this bet!”

“Wait, what?” Nerris got over her temporary embarrassment quickly, a deep confusion setting in.

“Yeah, what bet?” Harrison snapped, never once letting go of Nerris’ hair. 

“Y-you two gotta fall in loooove in a coffee shop so I can winnn!” Nikki whined, digging her face into the carpet under her head. 

“W-what? L-love?” Nerris stammered, quickly pushing away Harrison, the blush returning to her face once more.

“Love?” Harrison echoed. His thoughts didn’t seem to want to process at the moment. He was still stuck on his failed kiss with Nerris; her pushing him away, while his sober self would have completely understood with the circumstances, really struck a chord with his drunk self.

Harrison suddenly felt that he didn’t want to be in the room anymore.

Rising to his feet, Harrison set off toward the front door, “‘m gonna go smoke…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! And with just one more chapter, how can Harrison possibly come back from this!? Tune in to find out!!!


	8. It Was All Alcohol's Fault

“Damn it, where’d they go!?” Harrison mumbled, digging through his pockets for his car keys. He had left the house so abruptly, he didn’t stop to make sure they were even on him.

He had been frantically searching for almost five minutes when his drunk brain finally realized they were nowhere on his person.

“Looking for something?” A voice rang somewhere behind him, followed by a soft jingle.

Harrison’s shoulders dropped, “Nerris...why do you have my keys…?”

Clicking the unlock button on the key fob, Nerris slipped them back into her pocket, “Harrison, you could hardly keep your eyes open. There was no way in hell I was letting you keep these on you.” 

Nerris opened the passenger door, gesturing for the man to take a seat. Harrison, who wanted nothing more than the cigarettes on the chair, climbed into the car without a word. Nerris rounded to the other side of the car, getting into the driver seat. For a while, the two sat in silence.

“So…” Nerris finally spoke up, “That dare…”

“I woulda done it…” 

“What?” The woman turned to look at Harrison, who stared ahead, fiddling with a cigarette in his hands,

“I woulda done it...woulda kissed ya like I should’ve back at camp. You were horrible to me...so fucking horrible...but you weren’t afraid of me...you made me feel like my powers were so normal, they were worth being laughed at…” Harrison took a breath, dropping his cigarette onto the floor of the car, “God damn, did I love you...and I hated it...then when you came to the coffee shop...I felt like the universe was giving me a seco-”

“Harrison…” Nerris cut in, turning to face the man, “I….I-uh. I feel the same...and I want you to continue...but let’s talk about this when we’re sober...okay?”

“...Kay.” Harrison gave a short nod, followed by a yawn. 

Nerris giggled, “Come on, Harrison, let’s go get you to bed…”  
__________________________

“Wow...they all turned in fast…” Nerris whispered, noting Max and Nikki stacked on top of each other on the couch. Pikeman was sprawled across the pool table, with Sasha on the floor just a few feet away. 

Upstairs wasn’t much better, as Nurf and Preston had locked themselves in the guest room; from the sounds spilling from behind the door, it was evident they weren’t doing much sleeping. 

Terra’s room had been overtaken by Ered and Max’s room had Erin and Snake.

That left only one more option…

“At least David and Gwen got a bigger bed…” Harrison slurred, a slight sway taking over him, “Then we don’t hafta spoon...I like spoons…”

Nerris repressed another giggle, sliding Harrison’s arm over her shoulder to help steady him, “Is that so? You like spoons?”

“I’ll be the big spoon.” Harrison laid his head on top of her’s, nuzzling her hair.

“Alright, dork, you can be the big spoon.” Nerris went to toss the man on the bed, though his grip was relentless, causing both of them to tumble. Nerris couldn’t help her fit of laughter as she crashed on top of Harrison.

“Oops…” He managed, eyes becoming heavy as soon as his head hit the pillow. He gazed down at Nerris, who had given up her attempt to separate herself from him and instead rested her head against his chest. 

“Looks like we’re spooning tonight…” Harrison smirked, hands carding lightly through Nerris’ hair. The woman shook her head,

“This isn’t spooning...it’s more like cuddling…” Nerris hoped the lack of light in the room hid her blush. From the way she heard Harrison’s heart rate increase slight at the comment, he probably felt the same way she did about it.

“I-is that so bad?”. Harrison stilled his hand; Nerris shrugged,

“Ask me when we’re sober.”

With that out of the way, Harrison allowed himself to drift off; he couldn’t tell if it was from the booze or not, but the pains in his arms were gone.  
__________________________

“Oh fuck…” Harrison groaned, squeezing his eyes shut against the sun that streamed in through the window. What time was it? What happened last night?

Harrison willed himself to open one eye just enough to take in his surroundings, “W-wher- oh.”

Bit of the previous night’s events slowly came back at the gears in the man’s hungover mind slowly began to turn.

He was in David and Gwen’s bed, lat their house, after a long night of drinking. Drink that had lead from a game of jenga to truth or dare, which lead t-

“Nerris?” Harrison opened both eyes, instantly regretting this as the room began to spin. It didn’t matter, though. He had seen what he needed to; he was alone in this bed.  
__________________________

It took approximately three tries over the course of two hours before Harrison found himself steady enough to leave the room. Focusing entirely on putting one foot in front of the other, the man made his way down the stairs to the kitchen, torn between getting something to eat or throwing up whatever he didn’t the night before. 

His grand debate was cut short as a voice grabbed his attention.

“Boy, don’t you look like hell.” Max leaned on the kitchen counter, having glanced up from watching the coffee machine brew the coffee he so dearly loved. Harrison snorted,

“Yeah. Feel like it, too.” He said, grabbing a kitchen chair to sit on. Max shook his head, turning back to the coffee machine.

“Want any?”

“Huh?” Harrison cocked his head to one side, his ability to process information had suddenly halted. Now it was Max’s turn to snort. Without further conversation, Max handed Harrison a mug, then resumed his coffee watching. Harrison found himself watching as well, though he struggled to see what the appeal was.

“So, Nikki and Nerris left this morning,” Max spoke up after a brief silence, “Something lacrosse or something…” Max shrugged.

“Oh! Oh…” Harrison responded, some kind of relief washing over him. So, she hadn’t just left him...Okay, that was good, right?

His thoughts must’ve shown through in his expression, as Max had raised an eyebrow at him; Harrison quickly ducked his head down, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

Max sighed, “Hey, man...I’m, uh...sorry about, ya know. Last night,” Max went to pour coffee into his mug, then Harrison’s, “That bet was from way back. Kinda forgot about it, really.”

“It’s okay...really, I’m not mad...kinda relieved, actually.” Harrison admitted, taking a sip from his mug. Again, Max raised his eyebrow,

“So you do like Nerris! So, where did it happen; who won!?” Max seemed to have forgotten what he just apologized for, a renewed interest in the bet he has supposedly ‘forgotten’ about. 

Harrison laughed, a smirk settling on his face, “Actually, we were going to talk about that today, when we sobered up.”

Max’s face fell, before returning to a neutral expression, “That’s not the only thing that needs to happen after sobering up; We still gotta wake everyone else up and clean my damn house.”

“Alright, we’ll do that, then.” Harrison his mug on the table, moving to stand.

At least, that’s what they would have done, had Max’s phone not rang mere seconds later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Cliff Hanger! Who was calling!? Who won the bet!? Who's driving the ship!? So many questions!!!!!
> 
> All the be answered in the next fic! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


End file.
